Ajamu Crosby has made a habit out of solving problems.
Whether in the classroom or out, the 23-year-old university graduate and Beetham resident believes that hard work and the right attitude are the solutions to any difficulty and is determined to help others realise their potential.
Crosby made headlines in 2017 when he won an additional scholarship in the natural science category after earning top marks in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).
Speaking with Sunday Newsday at his 17th D Street, Beetham Gardens, home on Tuesday, Crosby, spoke about his journey through secondary school, the importance of good role-models and his hope for his community. 
Crosby graduated from The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine, last year with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
While he admits there are few scholarship winners from Beetham Gardens, he isn’t a stereotype and hoped the national community could one day see Beetham residents as a community like any other.
In the gallery of his family’s home the importance of education is noticeable with a bookshelf stacked with textbooks – past exam papers occupying half the space – and a white board on the wall.
Crosby attended primary and secondary school in Tunapuna at the request of his mother who wanted him to be close to where she worked at the time.
After scoring high marks in CSEC, he went on to attend Hillview College for CAPE, where he was exposed to different cultures and experiences.
“There was a lot of competition because the students were brilliant so that was one of the reasons why I went to Hillview for form six.
“What was interesting attending Hillview was the cultural differences. Being introduced to a lot of the Hindu and Muslim religious customs from the other students, I felt I got a more diverse sense of TT’s cultural diaspora.”
While, he said, the new environment was refreshing, this would be the first time Crosby saw the perceptions of others towards Beetham residents noting that he sometimes felt excluded by other students.
While he was not deterred by this, it was something he thought about.
“There were situations where I felt a little unwelcome, just some students saying certain things. I don’t want to throw dirt on anyone but it had instances where I didn’t feel welcome but the teachers were very welcoming.
“When I attended Tunapuna Secondary before Hillview I didn’t really say where I lived because let’s be honest there is a stigma in the community, I didn’t want to just be known as ‘the guy from the Beetham’, but when I found success it made it more amazing that I came from an area like this and still achieved success in academics, because being from the Beetham Gardens it’s kind of rare.”
Despite this, Crosby said he was strengthened by his mother, Juliana, who encouraged him to continue working hard towards his dreams.
Both mother and son supported each other as while Crosby studied for CAPE, his mother studied for her degree in psychology at the University of the Southern Caribbean.
Crosby’s mother said she always did her best to encourage her son to appreciate the value of education while working through difficult times.
“He was quite supportive of me because when I went into my first semester of the programme, oh my God, I threw my hands up in the air and he was there.
“He said, ‘Mummy don’t worry we will study together,’ and he helped me too because mathematics was a subject I am really weak in and he’s a mathematician.
“I got through, I passed the mathematics class. We fed off of each others strength. One of the things I always told him growing up is to reach one, you have to teach one.”
Eventually Crosby earned high enough grades to be awarded an additional scholarship. This allowed him to study anywhere in the Caribbean.
Crosby said while he originally wanted to be an astronomer, he developed an interest for physics and the application of mathematics in the real world while studying for CAPE and chose to remain in Trinidad, enrolling in UWI’s mechanical engineering programme.
Being the first of his siblings to attend university was a major achievement, but that meant Crosby had to adjust to the pace of work and general university life with little guidance on what was expected of him.
“The university experience was different from secondary school because it’s such a big campus you can get lost in it, so it wasn’t as focused.
“The most difficult parts in UWI was always finding that drive and being consistent in your effort because there were parts where you would fall off with the work and getting tired of it, and it’s just so much to be doing all the time and coming from CAPE where I put out 100 per cent to try and win a scholarship and then heading straight into a three-year programme which is even more work. That was the toughest part.”
Despite the challenges of the coursework, Crosby’s interest in engineering grew, leading him into the field of renewable energy, even focusing his final year project on the energy analysis of a steam power plant, using the now decommissioned Powergen power plant in Port of Spain as a reference.
He took this passion with him to the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries department of renewable energy where he worked as an intern last year before graduating.
Crosby said while passion and interest were important in the fields of applied science, just as important were issues of funding.
Citing the allocation of $6.9 billion to education and training for the 2022 budget, Crosby said he hoped some of these resources could be directed to funding more innovative, cutting edge ideas to push the field forward.
“In engineering we really don’t have a lot of research. We don’t really promote developing new ideas or concepts among our graduates, it’s all about going and doing things like maintenance and upkeep and falling in line with the process.
“There isn’t really any innovation. I want to see funding in innovation, if a student has an idea let’s give him a scholarship or a grant to fund that idea to see how far it can go.
“Things like renewable energy. I’ve seen some final year projects in UWI that blew my mind, I’ve seen solar-powered fridges, solar-powered go-carts, that money should go into those ideas.”
Crosby now works at the Ministry of Works and Transport in the mechanical services division and is also working on a book detailing his journey from Beetham through UWI and hopes it would be the first step towards changing the perception of his community, as he feels Beetham’s residents are merely glanced at but not seen by the national community.
He says part of the difficulties in getting young people in his community motivated to do their best has to do with the lack of positive role-models, something he wants to be.
“You don’t typically look around here and say, ‘Hey my neighbour is a doctor or my other neighbour is an engineer,’ it’s hard for children in the community to see that. That’s why I like to accomplish things like that so someone from the Beetham can look at me and realise that it’s very possible.
“The intention of the book is to open the eyes of children from Tunapuna, Westmoorings, San Fernando.
“When you hear the name Beetham don’t think of that person as a bad person. I want to relay to these people what it’s like without reinforcing some stereotype and bridge a gap between different communities.
“I want to really integrate the community into the rest of society and not just be this thing we stare at and are scared of. I know there are bad elements but there are also good elements and they deserve the attention too.”
Even with good examples available, the difficulties of trying to maintain good grades in less-than-ideal conditions have not been lost on him.
Recalling having to study while using bits of tissue as earplugs to drown out loud music from a nearby house, Crosby says discipline and hard work were sometimes the only solutions to problems. 
“Life isn’t perfect. Sometimes there will be people with more resources than you but that shouldn’t deter you from doing your best.
“If you work hard enough, long enough you will get there.”
Crosby says he understands that while all students may not have the same interests as him, he believed they all had the capacity to achieve their goals and more, once they were prepared to work hard and stay focused.
Facing hard work head on and not giving up the fight has been a part of Crosby’s life, reflected even in his name Ajamu – Yoruba in origin – which means, “Boy who fights for what he wants.” Source:  Newsday, October 17, 2021

Tobago was awarded second place in the Travel Industry Club (TIC) Destination Awards held in Germany on September 13, in recognition of the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited’s (TTAL’s) strategy for the industry in response to covid19 and on-island initiatives aimed at repositioning the destination for recovery.
First place went to the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park in Germany.
TIC is an influential association of travel leaders in Germany – the largest outbound tourism country in Europe and a key source market for many long-haul destinations such as Tobago.
The TIC Destination Award honours a country/island/city/region that has changed in the past months, evolving their tourism development and marketing strategies in areas of hygiene, safety and sustainability since the onset of the pandemic.
Winners are selected after a rigorous pre-selection process and anonymous voting by a jury comprising experts from all segments of the travel industry as well as trend researchers, management consultants, agencies and publishers.
The TTAL’s submission for Tobago was awarded silver in the Destination Award category, surpassing big players such as Germany’s most popular holiday destination, Bavaria, Tenerife and Slovenia and competing long-haul destinations including Colombia.
Tobago’s submission included details on the WTTC “Safe Travels” stamp, tourism sector relief grants, responsive international marketing campaigns and on-island sustainability initiatives, including the Blue Flag and Green Key certification programs.
TIC officials commended Tobago’s award-winning presentation in a congratulatory letter to TTAL CEO Louis Lewis.
“Among a list of established destinations and well-known finalists such as Tenerife, Colombia or Bavaria your application and presentation really stood out and convinced the jury with a well-rounded concept including new trends like sustainability, an approach clearly differentiating Tobago from other Caribbean destinations, a very likeable presentation, and a lot of commitment, also shown by the participation of yourself across time zones,” they said in the letter.
TTAL said this significant recognition by Germany’s Travel Industry Club has placed a positive spotlight on Tobago in it’s second-largest source market. In addition to the island being featured on TIC’s online platforms and promoted within their extensive networks as award winners, this win will help raise the profile of the destination amongst key travel trade influencers in Germany and position Tobago to take advantage of the European country’s booming travel and tourism economy.
The agency’s marketing coordinator Sheena Des Vignes added, “The TIC is a network of influential practitioners in the largest outbound travel market and one of the countries with the largest GDP contribution in Travel and Tourism. They know what they are about when it comes to travel and tourism, therefore placing Tobago top of mind within this network in times of uncertainty helps to build partner confidence, credibility for Tobago and opportunities for recovery.
“It has been difficult to continuously keep the destination relevant with trade and consumers considering our current on-island covid19 challenges, so aligning with this award was one of the many tactical decisions TTAL made to keep Tobago front of mind to the right audience, with the right message, as an investment in current and future plans for recovery.” (Source: Newsday, Sept 18, 2021)

wo Trinidadian students have been awarded the MEXT (Monbu-Kagaku-Sho) Scholarship to pursue their graduate studies in Japan. 
In a statement, the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago said the two students will pursue their studies at graduate level for two years - Anastasia Ramjag will be undertaking studies in Linguistics and Intercultural Communication at Waseda University and Avinash Boodoo will be pursuing studies in Coastal Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
The Embassy said both students are excited to start their studies in Japan, though their original departure schedules were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are looking forward to immersing themselves in the culture while furthering their educational goals.
On October 7, Ambassador Hirayama met with and congratulated both MEXT Scholarship students at his official residence.
During their meeting, they discussed the courses that the students will be pursuing, the Universities and areas of interest to be explored in japan. Ambassador also offered the students encouraging advice and useful information for their stay in Japan.
The Government of Japan, through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, also known as MEXT or Monbu-Kagaku-Shō, offers scholarships to foreign students who desire to study at Japanese universities as postgraduate/research students every academic year.
Successful applicants receive round-trip airfare, exemption from school fees and a monthly allowance.
The Embassy said the MEXT Scholarship Programme offers students an opportunity for exchange, growth, exploration and educational development.
"The Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago is pleased to state that the programme has contributed to the established bilateral relations between Japan and Trinidad and Tobago and has further strengthened the cooperative relationship and exchanges between the two countries."
For more information visit the Embassy of Japan Website for more information on the MEXT Scholarship Programme and daily activities: https://www.tt.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html 
​(Source: Loop, October 8, 2021)

​Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says the world is being reshaped by technology and T&T must figure out how to keep up in order to survive.

In his Republic Day message, the Prime Minister said according to predictions, every aspect of human activity in the world will be reshaped in the coming decade. He urged citizens to shift their outlook from “Me to Us.”

“What is required now is that we take a deeper look at the world of the 21st century, with the realisation that some of our present socio-economic and political perspectives are unsuited to the challenges that are emerging,” Rowley said.

He said one of the troubling questions facing governments around the world was how to prevent a fallout in the job market, how to create sustainable jobs and what happens if losses outstrip job creation.

“As our Republic goes forward, this is just one of the many serious considerations which should be in the minds of citizens, because we have to ensure that we are a people, not of unskilled labour, but a people thrusting forward, learning new skills; a people, who, overall, cannot afford to be on the wrong side of this century’s technological divide,” he said.

The Prime Minister also acknowledged the “sad, dark side” of T&T—including crime, social ills, drug abuse, unemployment and the lasting psycho-social effects of the pandemic.

“The past year has been difficult for all of us. We have had to deal with both the effects of the pandemic and the fall in energy prices, which have meant a reduction in revenue,” he said.

But he said citizens should also be grateful for the positives—including the reopening of the economy and a return to our way of life through vaccination.

“Recently, I said that God is on our side, and we needed to be on His side too. Earlier this week, he showed how much he was on our side with the announcement by bpTT that it had begun production from its Matapal gas project, much earlier than expected.”

He said this project is expected to produce between 250-350 million standard cubic feet per day - just about half of what the company produced on average over the past ten years.

“Whilst this does not solve our gas problems, every little bit helps,” he added.

The Prime Minister also cited the new $500 million Marriott hotel project for Tobago, saying it would assist in solving Tobago’s tourism problems.

He said the return to school for vaccinated students and the country’s open borders are also gifts to be cherished and celebrated.

Rowley admitted he was saddened by the way the country has been forced to commemorate this Republic Day.

“Disappointingly, we are still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which demanded and has extracted so much from us. We have done reasonably well, as a Republic. Scanning the globe, we can cite other Republics, both long-established and former colonial territories, which unlike us have either unravelled or been caught in belligerence and ethnic warfare.”

He said T&T has kept together and claimed some measure of civility and progress but there was much more to be done.

“It is a day like today that we should question ourselves about who we are, our individual roles as citizens, our special obligations to each other, and move to recognise the uniqueness and greatness of our land called Trinidad and Tobago and the melting pot within,” Rowley said. Source:  T&T Guardian, Sept 23, 2021

Click on this link   to see the beautiful photos and story about the Tobago Heritage Queens. Or,
copy and paste this URL into your browser   
​https://www.guardian.co.tt/article/tobago-heritage-queens-6.2.1386438.4287a79ff5​

For T&T’s 45th Republic Day which will be celebrated on Friday, the T&T Association of Ottawa (TTAO), Canada, hosted a free virtual cultural event last Saturday at 7.30 pm. Cocktails preceded the celebrations at 7 pm and an after-party closed off the occasion.
Master of ceremony for the virtual event was actor, playwright and theatre director Rhoma Spencer who opened the formal segment with an Ottawa land acknowledgement: “Ottawa is built on the un-ceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation whose ancestors have lived on the land for millennia.”
The Canadian and T&T national anthems followed.
Guests were treated to a wide array of cultural performances starting with the Dynamic Damaru Tassa Crew. The national instrument was well represented by Pan Fantasy with renditions of Dancing Queen and Dingolay, and bp Renegades Steel Orchestra performing Jahaji Bhai.
Afro-Caribbean and Indian dances were performed by members of Cultural Arts Studio with Belé and Devil Dance, and a Footsteps Dance School classical by Bollywood dancer Baby KV.
Calypso and opera came from six-time Canada Calypso Monarch Macomere Fifi who did a tribute to the Calypso King of the World, the Mighty Sparrow, followed by Lord Baker’s God Bless Our Nation and Ulyn Small.
The virtual gathering also heard greetings from TTAO president Ingrid John-Baptiste, who also read a message fromT&T’s High Commissioner to Canada Dennis Moses. Making toasts to T&T were Mayor of Ottawa Jim Watson and Member of Parliament for Neapan, Ottawa, Chandrakanth “Chandra” Arya. Dr Alfredo Walker gave the keynote address.
The high point of the annual event is the award. This year’s awardees are from the University of Ottawa and will receive CDA$1,000.
TTAO vice president Dianna Pierre presented Jason Leach, part-time professor at the university, with the CLR. James Award. Zuwena Walters, who is studying speech science language pathology, got the Naz Award, while The Friends of Serviam’s Patricia Sylvester presented Alayna Horsham with the Serviam Award. Horsham is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Sciences.
The selection committee for the scholarships comprised Andrew Williams, Rose LeBlanc, Hazel Pompey and Joe Cabrera.
Door prizes of T&T mugs, a bottle of rum punch, gift certificates and dinner for four courtesy Bacchanal went to Brenda Walters, Eddy Alleyne, Errol, Hedda Simms, Joy Grainger, Pearline Williams, Simone Waithe and Myra Flash respectively.
Rosanna Lashley delivered the vote of thanks. House and after-party music was supplied by TTAO’s resident DJ David Supersound.
Part proceeds from the event will go towards the 2022 scholarship awards and the Haiti Relief Effort.
John-Baptiste says TTAO has been working with the mantra, Love from the Inside Out…Spirit, Mind and Body. She expressed her gratitude to TTAO teams, volunteers and supporters, as well as sponsors Ottawa’s Bacchanal, The Cultural Arts Studio, Aylmer Electronics, Carib Brewery and Angostura Limited.
The group can be reached at TTAO.ca, its Facebook page or by telephone at 613-834-1718.
Persons who want to support the group’s efforts can send cheques to PO Box 8401, Station T, Ottawa, K1G, 3H8 addressed to Trinidad and Tobago Association of Ottawa, or e-transfer for donations 2022: tantassociation@gmail.com.
Source: Trinidad&Tobago Guardian, Sept 20, 2021

​

​Warao teacher and fisherman Palacio Quinones, 34, sits next to Yakerin Mende Mendoza, and her one-year-old son Noe at a house in south Trinidad. - Photos by Lincoln Holder

In 2019, when a boatload of indigenous Venezuelans – Warao people – left for Trinidad, the trip became a matter of life or death.
They would have preferred to stay in their forested home community of Mariusa, away from the hustle and bustle of "civilisation." But the ongoing crisis in Venezuela has reached indigenous communities in the jungles, threatening their existence and forcing them to leave.
A Warao group spoke to Sunday Newsday, saying their people are on the brink of extinction.
The Warao were one of Venezuela's largest indigenous groups. They are found mainly in Delta Amacuro state, one of the closest points to Trinidad.
The group shared perspectives on their traditional way of life and their struggles to adapt to life in Trinidad.
The Warao, also referred to as boat or canoe people, have been chiefly self-sustaining, with little or no help from the authorities.
Father of two Palacio Quinones, 34, worked as a fisherman and a Spanish/Warao teacher in Mariusa in Delta Amacuro.
Quinones, who cannot speak English, said many people in the community have never been to other parts of the country. He, however, has visited different areas, including Bolivar State.
Speaking in Spanish, he explained that his wife was seven months pregnant in April 2019 when members of the Guardia Nacional began shooting at a boat, killing her and her seven-year-old sister.
"There were about 20 people of different ages fishing in the river where they opened fire without warning," Quinones said.
"Maybe they thought it was bandits. The (Orinoco) river has become dangerous.
"But for hundreds of years, it has always been normal to fish and to see groups of people fishing."
He spoke on behalf of the Warao.
Quinones, his two daughters Genesis and Beatriz, and other Warao made the clandestine trip in September 2019. Many people in the community had already fled to Brazil and other neighbouring countries.
The only person they knew here was a fisherman.
"There are about 45 indigenous tribes in Venezuela. They speak their own languages," he said.
August 9 was International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, as declared by the UN General Assembly in December 1994.
In 2002, then-president Hugo Chavez declared October 12 is Indigenous Resistance Day in Venezuela. This national holiday honours the contributions made by the indigenous people, highlighting their struggles. It replaced Race Day, which celebrated Christopher Columbus.
But even in their country, indigenous people, as a minority group, still face discrimination, Quinones said. Many non-indigenous countrymen still refer to them as Indians.
"We are not Indians!" Quinones and another Warao, said in unison.
Their houses, which do not have electricity, are calledpalafitos (overwater bungalows). They mainly have open-plan homes.
It is common for babies to learn to swim before they can walk, he said.
The only school in this community closed three years ago.
"The river ate the school. The building was very old. It was rotten," Quinones said.
As boat people, they use canoes to travel, and sleep in handwoven hammocks, and not beds.
Quinones said: "We depend 100 per cent on rain to get drinking water. Sometimes it is difficult to get fresh water. We cannot go out as we used to because we could get killed in the river."
To survive in Trinidad, he and other Warao beg people on the streets for money and food. They also do odd jobs. Living inland and away from the river was new to the group. They slept on mattresses for the first time. They live in cramped conditions, unable to find regular work.
"It pains me to beg. We want to work. Our living conditions are horrible here. It is cramped, and we have no money. We need help. As Warao, we live in harmony with nature. We want maybe a parcel of land to live and work freely," he said on behalf of the group.
Just when they thought things could not get any worse, they did, in 2020, owing to the restrictions imposed because of the covid pandemic.
Quinones reminisced that in the jungle. the moriche palm trees (
Mauritia flexuosa) are trees of life.
These trees provide food, shelter, medicine and have aesthetic value.
The trunk is used as the stilts of their homes and to make canoes. The fruit is eaten and used to make juices, he said. People extract soft tissues at the tree's centre to make many dishes, including the popular yuruma.
Another significant benefit of the tree is "delicious edible insects" (worms). The worms are a welcome presence inside the trees. People eat them raw or cook, roast over direct fire.
"It has a lot of protein. The insects get all the nutrients from the tree. It is used as a medicine too."
The group is registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency. The UNHCR said about 200 "Warao persons of concern" are registered with the organisation in Trinidad and Tobago.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has identified Venezuela as being second to Syria as the world's second-largest external displacement crisis. A press release from IRC on June 16 said over 5.6 million Venezuelans had left the country.
Indigenous people traditionally depend on organic materials for medicines, preventing and curing many illnesses naturally.
Several reports say indigenous languages are becoming extinct, and when natives die, they take knowledge of medicinal plants with them.
On June 8, a report from the UK Guardian referred to a study that warned that knowledge of medicinal plants is at risk, saying the loss of linguistic diversity may lead to the disappearance of age-old remedies unknown to science.
Sunday Newsday also spoke to Kape-Kape, an organisation in Venezuela dedicated to protecting the rights of their indigenous peoples.
A representative said the original Waraos of the Orinoco Delta continue to move towards neighbouring countries like Guyana, Trinidad, and Brazil.
In the Pedernales municipality and Tucupita, entire communities have also emigrated, leaving their former homes lonely.
On the migration to TT, the representative said before the pandemic restrictions, trips were usually made two or three times per week.
The official, who asked not to be named, spoke on behalf of Kape-Kape. The pandemic and tightened restrictions have reduced migration, he said.
"Clandestine travel continues today, but less frequently. A woman who asked not to be identified explained that she had to pay US$200 to travel.
"Unfortunately, she and others were arrested and imprisoned by the Trinidadian authorities, then deported after three months."
Kape-Kape also promotes the leadership and democracy of the states of Bolívar, Delta Amacuro and Amazonas.
The official quoted a Venezuelan journalist, Adaira González, who has lived in Trinidad for more than two years. She estimated the number of indigenous migrants at more than 1,000.
Contacted by phone, an official from the Venezuelan Embassy in Port of Spain asked the reporter to schedule an appointment with ambassador Carlos Amador Perez Silva for an interview. (Source:  Newsday  August 15, 2021)

Derron Watkins is the latest T&T national to be awarded an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree (EMJMD) scholarship.
Watkins, who obtained two bachelor’s degrees in economics and psychology from the UWI, St Augustine, will read for a Master’s degree in Work, Organisational and Personnel Psychology at the University of Valencia, Spain and at the University of Coimbra in Portugal.
He will journey to Spain to begin this course of study in September.
According to Watkins, hard work and a passion for psychology are the drivers of his success. It was while studying for first degree that he realised his true interest lay elsewhere.“When I entered UWI in 2013, I decided to pursue a major in economics,” he stated.
“But along the way I fell in love with psychology.”
Not being one to quit, Watkins decided to finish his degree rather than switching majors and then made the decision to return to UWI for a second undergraduate degree in psychology.
It was not an easy road. With GATE funding unavailable for this second degree, Watkins needed to work full time to make ends meet and to pay tuition and other expenses.
Still, he was able to graduate with first class honours. A true change maker, it was while working at one minimum wage job and observing how management treated their employees, that he decided that industrial and organisational psychology were the keys to his future career.
“I want to help companies to realise the true potential of their employees, while ensuring that employees in turn feel valued and rewarded,” he said.
Speaking about his future plans at the end of his study abroad, Watkins, currently a business operations assistant II in the social services unit of the Judiciary of T&T, Family and Children Division’ said he hopes to, at least initially, be able to return to his job providing services for families and children. Longer term, he plans to establish his own consulting business.
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Scholarship programme is highly sought after around the world by individuals seeking to study in Europe. It allows scholars the opportunity to read for a postgraduate degree in at least two countries in the EU, all expenses paid.
In 2021, 2,756 scholarships were awarded to individuals in 141 countries. Watkins is one of an elite group of approximately 100 individuals from T&T who have been awarded the scholarship since 2005.
Commenting on Watkin’s achievement, Charge d’Affaires ai of the EU Delegation, Ze Alves-Pereira said: “We are very happy that this enterprising and hardworking young man was chosen and we celebrate with him and his family this achievement. We hope that he will find his time in Europe to be an enriching one and that he will return to Trinidad fully prepared to play his part in this country’s development, as so many of his predecessors have done.”
He added: “There are so many talented individuals in T&T who can benefit from this opportunity to expand their horizons and experience and I would like to encourage more nationals to apply to the Erasmus programme.” (Source:  T&T Guardian, July 16, 2021)

Hundreds of Venezuelans returned to their homeland on Sunday after being repatriated from Trinidad and Tobago.
At the eastern coast of Venezuela, on the port of Guanta, some 330 kilometers east from Caracas, a Venezuelan commercial ferry transported hundreds of Venezuelans who left Trinidad and Tobago for lack of employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Valentina Itriago, a repatriated Venezuelan, said she was unable to find work to care for her son:
"We returned because in Trinidad and Tobago we didn't have the capacity... I didn't have the capacity to take care of my son.  Jobs were scarce because of COVID, I had already been out of work for three months, rents were super expensive. It was time to return."
“The only way to work there is cleaning houses. I have an infection on my hands. No. I'm staying in my country. Don't think that being abroad is easy and even less so with a child. It is better to be here in Venezuela than to be abroad."
The Venezuelan government began a repatriation plan called "Return to the Fatherland" in 2018 and since then, more than 25,000 Venezuelans have been repatriated from other countries in the region such as Peru, Ecuador and Chile.
This return of Venezuelans from Trinidad and Tobago is the first voluntary repatriation to be done by sea - Loop News was told that 680 people Venezuelan nationals made the decision to return home. 
The process was monitored by officials as passengers were processed prior to departure last Friday. 
Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Dr Amery Browne, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds and Communications Minister Symon de Nobriga were also present to examine the logistics of the repatriation exercise.
Source: The Loop, July 19, 2021